Embed

description

Object description

British officer served with G1 Commando, Royal Navy attached to Combined Operations in Northern Ireland, Mediterranean and Italy, 1943-1944; served with 9th Motor Launch Flotilla, Coastal Forces in Mediterranean, 1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Leyton, London, GB, 1924-1942: family; education; evacuations to Torquay and Uckfield, 1939- 1941; plotting fall of German bombs which fell in River Thames as sea scout, 1941. Enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1942-1943: volunteering for Royal Navy, 7/1942; training at HMS Collingwood, Fareham from 9/1942; officer cadet training and commissioning at Lochailort, early 1943. Recollections of operations as officer with G1 Commando, Royal Navy, Combined Operations in Northern Ireland, Mediterranean and Italy, 1943-1944: posting to HMS Armadillo at Long Kesh, Northern Ireland; character of landing craft training; voyage aboard Llangibby Castle from River Clyde to Mediterranean, summer 1943.
REEL 2 Continues: landing platoon of Canadian Princess Patricia's Light Infantry in Sicily; method of detecting underwater obstacles on beaches; move to Point Pachino, Sicily; unloading work and evacuation of Italian POWs; description of term LCA; landing 231 Bde at Vibo Valentia on Italian mainland, 3/9/1943; move to Andria, near Bari, 10/1940 and arrival of G2 and G3 Commandoes; move to Termoli, 10/1943; use of Italian motor torpedo boats to rescue escaped Allied POWs; incident of being stranded ashore during POW rescue mission, 11/1943; use of fishing boat to sail to Termoli, 11/1943.
REEL 3 Continues: shelling of motor torpedo boat on second trip to pick up escaped POWs, 11/1943; swimming away from stricken vessel; swimming ashore and evading Germans with aid from Italian civilians, 11/1943; escape back to Termoli, 11/1943; return to Andria, 12/1943; on port duties at Barletta, early 1944 including unloading gas supplies; memories of Captain Jack at Barletta, 1944; visit by Lord Louis Mountbatten.
REEL 4 Continues: embarking aboard submarine depot ship HMS Vienna in Sicily for return voyage to GB, 9/1944; problems entering Liverpool; evening at Bagatelle Night Club in London, autumn 1944; disbanding of commando, 11/1944. Aspects of period as officer with Coastal Forces in GB and Mediterranean, 1945-1946: drafting to Felixstowe; first encounter with Wren on board MTB; drafting to 9th Motor Launch Flotilla in Mediterranean, 7/1945-12/1945; handling of motor launches; mine sweeping duties off Yugoslavia; VJ celebrations off Trieste.
REEL 5 Continues: fate of motor launches; duties checking brothels at Messina, Italy; work removing tugs from Venice, 1/1946; sailing landing craft between Malta to Bizerta, early 1946.

Over two million American servicemen passed through Britain during the Second World War. In 1944, at the height of activity, up to half a million were based there with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Their job was to man and maintain the vast fleets of aircraft needed to attack German cities and industry.